Save Me
by Canadian Pixie
Summary: Hermione and Draco are paired together for a few classes, no biggie. So, what happens when they start to get along? And how will Ron and Harry react?
1. Default Chapter

Hermione Granger walked into the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and looked around for her two best friends. Spotting them at the end of a table, she ran to join them. Harry Potter, the-Boy-Who-Lived, and Ronald Weasley, the Third of the Golden Trio, smiled as they saw Hermione approach. Hermione plopped down in a seat across from Harry and Ron. The three began discussing some homework they had received the previous day from their least favorite professor, Professor Snape, Potions Master. As Hermione listened to Ron go on about how much trouble he'd had writing the essay, she felt like she was being watched. She glanced up to see Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin and sworn enemy of the Golden Trio, staring at her with a blank look on his face.  
'What the hell does Malfoy want? Why is he still staring at me?' she wondered to herself.  
"Well, I'd better be heading to Arithmancy." she said quickly, getting up.  
"But you haven't even eaten any breakfast yet!" Ron squealed. Hermione gave him a small smile as she headed for the doors of the Great Hall. Walking down the corridor to her Arithmancy class, she heard footsteps following her. She carefully grabbed her wand tucked into her robes and spun around. She came face to face with Draco Malfoy.  
"What do you want Malfoy?" she said angrily.  
"Tsk tsk Granger. Is that anyway to treat a Malfoy? Where are your manners?" Malfoy taunted back. Hermione grew red in the face at his comment.  
"Malfoy, leave me alone."  
"Where are your beloved Potty and Weasel?" he continued to annoy her.  
"None of your business Malfoy, now LEAVE ME ALONE!" she said as she turned on her heel to leave. Malfoy grabbed her wrist.  
"Granger, never turn your back on a Malfoy!" he said before brushing past her and walking into the Arithmancy classroom. Once class started, the Professor informed the class they would be partnering up for an assignment. Everyone else partnered up and only Hermione and Malfoy were left without partners. Hermione raised her hand.  
"Excuse me, Professor. I was wondering if we might be allowed to work alone?"  
"Nonsense," the professor told her, "Mr. Malfoy doesn't have a partner either. You two may pair up." There was no real way out of it. Once the class was given their instructions, everyone began to work except for Hermione and Malfoy.  
"Listen Malfoy," she began saying firmly, "I don't like you and you don't like me...."  
"I like you" he said slyly, interrupting her.  
"....but we have to get along long enough to get this project over with. Once we're finished we'll go back to the same hating each other bit. Got it?" Draco nodded as he began to copy the instructions off the board.  
  
After class, Draco rushed out of the classroom before Hermione even had a chance to tell him they should meet up later for research purposes. She left the classroom in a huff, thinking to herself that she'd just go to the library by herself. Looking down at the ground while she walked, she suddenly ran into what seemed like a brick wall that sent her falling to the floor and scattering her books and notes all over the corridor. She looked up at the brick wall and was surprised to see Goyle, one of Malfoy's cronies. Malfoy was standing next to him.  
"You should really watch where you're going Hermione" Malfoy said as he crouched down to help her retrieve her things. She gathered what she could and stood up in a hurry. Malfoy handed her what was left of her notes.  
"Malfoy, I think we should meet in the library tonight for research." she told him quickly. He nodded in agreement.  
"What time? After dinner?" he asked. She nodded and headed for the Gryffindor common room.  
'Did he call me Hermione or was it just my imagination? And did he help me pick up my notes and books? What has gotten into him? He's being too........nice!' she thought to herself as she approached the Fat Lady.  
"Phoenix feather," Hermione mumbled the password. She passed through the portrait hole and into the warm common room. Looking towards the chairs by the fire, she was surprised to see Harry and Ron already there. She must have had an angry look on her face.  
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ron asked her. She was still replaying her encounter with Malfoy in the hall and was a little startled when Ron spoke.  
"What? Oh, nothing. Just had a bad class is all. I've got to get something in my room," she said as she ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. Ron looked at Harry, looking for an explanation, but Harry only shrugged.  
"She must not have had enough notes or something," Ron said as he went back to his Divination work.  
  
Up in her room, Hermione sat on her bed and hung her head.  
'What the hell is up with Malfoy?' she continued to ask herself. She sat there for almost an hour. She was thankful she had a spare period after Arithmancy. Coming down from her room after that hour, Harry and Ron weren't in the common room anymore. Hermione headed down to the Great Hall for lunch alone. Just outside the doors to the Hall, she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Malfoy.  
"What?" she said angrily. Malfoy had a look of shock on his face.  
"I just wanted to say that you missed one," he said as he held out a sheet of parchment towards her. She glanced at it. It was some poetry she had come up with one night while sitting in the common room with Harry and Ron as they finished some homework. Hermione snatched it out of Draco's hand.  
"Thank you," she said softly as she entered the Great Hall. She left him standing just outside the Hall doors, with a slight grin on his face.  
'What the hell are you doing Draco?! She's a bloody Gryffindor! A Mudblood!' he thought to himself as he went to take his usual place between Crabbe and Goyle at the Slytherin table. He didn't eat much at lunch. He pushed his food around on his plate more than he ate. Draco was hoping for a Granger-less afternoon, but soon remembered they had Care of Magical Creatures and Potions together this afternoon. He silently cursed the Timetable Maker for being so cruel. Halfway through lunch, Malfoy got up.  
"Got some studying to do. And I don't need you two following me!" he told Crabbe and Goyle as he left the table. He had in fact lied; he didn't have any studying. He just wanted some time to clear his head before having to see Granger for the rest of the day. Malfoy walked outside and found his feet taking him to the Quidditch pitch. He silently and slowly walked up the stairs to one of the stands and took a seat at the very back, in the corner. He was suddenly greeted by an owl, his large eagle owl, Zeus. Malfoy untied the letter from the owl's leg. He gave the owl a small poke and Zeus hooted softly before flying away.  
  
Draco,  
I received your recent test scores from Professor Snape this morning and I wasn't pleased. I thought you could have done better than a 92 on your Potions test. Disgraceful. Watch your step Draco, or you'll be sorry when summer vacation rolls around. Pick up your marks at once!  
Lucius Malfoy  
  
Draco read it a second time and angrily ripped the letter up. If his father expected better, he'd get better results. He threw the bits of the letter over the wall of the stands. No matter how well Draco did, it never pleased his father enough. Draco leaned back and closed his eyes, the warm sun beating down on his face. He removed his school robes as the sun grew hotter. All he wanted to do was be alone for now.  
  
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Back in the Great Hall, Hermione had finished her lunch while Ron and Harry bickered over a game of wizard's chess they had played before lunch. Hermione sighed.  
"I'm going to take a quick walk before our next class. I'll meet you both outside Hagrid's hut before class starts," she told them as she got up. She grabbed her books and headed outside. She walked towards the lake but found a few first and second year students sitting under her tree. She turned and headed for her second favorite spot to sit. As her feet carried her to the Quidditch pitch, she thought back to what had happened just before lunch.  
'Did Malfoy keep my poem on purpose? Did he read it? Why has he been acting so strange lately?' She climbed the stairs to the stands and sat down on the front bench. She sat and thought about her Malfoy filled afternoon when she realized she wasn't alone. She heard someone sniffle behind her. She looked up to find Malfoy sitting in the back corner. She saw his robes had been taken off. Her eyes widened at the sight of him without robes on.  
'Wow! I never realized how muscular his body is without those robes on. No Hermione! This is Malfoy! You can't have these thoughts. He's nothing more than an evil ferret whose mission in life is to make mine horrible! But his chest....you can see the muscles! And those arms! No Hermione!' she argued within herself. Suddenly Malfoy looked at her. He was shocked to see someone else sitting there, especially Hermione, of all people.  
"What do you want Granger?" he asked angrily.  
"Nothing Malfoy. I just came here to clear my head before class. You?" she said, spitting his name out like dirt.  
"It's none of your business!" he said as he got up and left, forgetting to grab his robes. Hermione grabbed them and ran down the stairs after Malfoy.  
"Wait, Draco! Your robes!" she yelled, breathing heavily. Draco spun around quickly.  
"WHAT did you call me?" he demanded. Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Draco took a step closer to Hermione and grabbed her wrist. He brought his face to hers. Hermione uttered a gasp as Draco brought his lips to hers. At first the kiss was nothing more than a kiss. Then something inside Hermione awoke and she felt the passion of the kiss, the intensity. She closed her eyes. The kiss continued. And then as suddenly as the kiss had begun, it ended. Hermione opened her eyes to find Draco staring into them, his grey eyes filled with anger, hate and rage, passion, love and hunger all at the same time.  
"Draco...." she whispered. Draco put his finger to her lips.  
"Thanks" he said as he grabbed his robes and walked towards Hagrid's hut. Hermione stood there, alone, for another minute before slowly following Draco.  
'Did I just kiss Mudblood Granger? Must have been the Malfoy instinct in me to seduce her. If only, after all these years, I'd known it was THAT easy. I would have done something sooner. But, damn, she's a great kisser. She has beautiful lips, just asking to be kissed. And her hair....I just want to run my hands through it. And I love her soft, delicate, tiny hands. So beautiful. Wait a flipping minute! Am I saying that I just enjoyed kissing that Mudblood?!?! It can't be. There's something wrong. It's all her fault for being so damn sexy. Fuck! Draco, get your damn head out of the clouds!'  
  
When she reached class, Harry and Ron hurriedly waved her over. Hagrid had just begun class. He gave out instructions to the class on what to do with their newest batch of Flobberworms.  
"What took you so long Hermione? You're never late for class!" Harry whispered.  
"Oh, just lost track of time I guess," she said as she took her Flobberworm out of its crate and placed it on the table that had been set up for them. She glanced up from her Flobberworm at the table to see Draco standing across from her. He gave her a nod.  
"Are we still on for the library after dinner?" he asked her quickly before Ron and Harry joined her.  
"Yes" she said, just as Ron and Harry took their spots on each side of her.  
"What does bloody Malfoy want?" Ron asked her. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and went on with the instructions they'd been given.  
'What just happened? Did Malfoy just kiss me or was it my imagination? Why did he kiss me? And why did I enjoy it? Wait, no, I can't enjoy it! It's Draco Malfoy for Merlin's sake! Why why why?!?!?! I know, he must he under some spell or charm! Or maybe a potion! Yes, that must be it. There's no way a Slytherin, especially Malfoy, would kiss me or any Gryffindor for that matter! But either way, I really enjoyed that. I loved how his muscular body held me close. I felt safe, protected from all harm. Hermione, it's not supposed to be like that!! It can't be!! Why am I thinking about Malfoy like that? Arg!!'  
Care of Magical Creatures passed much quicker than she had realized. It felt like only a few minutes had passed when Hagrid announced it was time to put their Flobberworms away. She put her Flobberworm away and headed back up to the castle with Harry and Ron. They headed straight down to the dungeon they had Potions class in. They joined the group of students standing outside the room, waiting for the door to be opened. Professor Snape came striding down the hallway, glaring angrily at the three of them as usual.  
"Today's class will involve a project which must be done in pairs. Select your partner now. I don't wish to hear any unnecessary chatter in my classroom," Snape said as he flung open the classroom door. Harry and Ron paired up immediately.  
"Sorry Hermione. I could find someone else," Ron said.  
"No need," Hermione told him, "I'll be okay. I'll find someone on my own." She looked around and saw that again, Malfoy was the only one without a partner. She walked up to him quickly.  
"Alone again, eh Malfoy?" she teased him. He tensed his jaw.  
"I see you're the same," he noted.  
"Well?"  
"Why not?" he said, shrugging his shoulders. The group of students chatted quietly as they entered the dungeon. Hermione took her usual spot beside Ron and Harry and Draco sat on her other side. Ron glared at him angrily. Draco only sneered back at him.  
"What's going on Hermione?" Harry asked her.  
"We're paired up in Arithmancy class as well. We figured it would make it easier this way. We can study for both classes together," she explained.  
"But....." Harry began.  
"SILENCE!" Snape bellowed. All conversations came to an abrupt halt. Snape tapped his wand on the blackboard and their instructions appeared.  
"Once you and your partner have copied down these instructions, I'd like for you both to come to the front and inform me of the partnership. You will then both proceed back to your seats where you'll discuss which Potion you will be doing and how you will go about presenting it to the class. You may choose any potion we have covered so far this year. This assignment will last the remainder of the year. It counts for 50% of your final mark. You will be making the potion you select a few times throughout the remainder of the year for practice," he told the class. Once he was done he sat back down and began to scribble something on a piece of parchment. Hermione and Draco each took out their quills and parchment and began copying the instructions down. Once they had finished, they headed up to the front of the room to tell Snape they'd be working together.  
"Partner's name?" Snape asked Hermione.  
"Draco Malfoy," she told him. Snape eyes widened incredibly and he opened his mouth slightly. He quickly regained his composure and looked at Malfoy.  
"Is this true Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked. Draco nodded his head.  
"Very well," Snape said as he jotted their names down on the piece of parchment in front of him.  
"I expect great things to come from you two for this project," he said before waving them away. Hermione and Draco took their seats again. Hermione opened up her notebook and looked at the numerous Potions they could cover.  
"Any ideas?" she asked, turning to Draco. She was a little shocked to see him staring down at her. She blushed a little and turned back to her notebook.  
"If we don't come up with a potion before the end of class we can always discuss it after dinner," she suggested.  
"Uh huh," was all Draco said. Hermione went back to scribbling in her notebook, coming up with different presentation ideas for different potions. Five minutes later, Snape called the class to an end. Hermione hurriedly gathered her books and ran after Harry and Ron, who had gone ahead without her. She hurried to the common room, slowly gaining a lead on Ron and Harry. She gave the Fat Lady the password and entered the already busy common room. She waited for Harry and Ron to join her.  
"Geez, Hermione. Why are you in such a rush?" Ron asked her.  
"Hmm? Oh, um, just hungry, that's all," she said quickly. "Let me drop my books off in my room and then we'll go down for dinner." She ran up the stairs to her room. Once inside, she locked the door. She dumped her bookbag on her bed, emptying its contents all over. She quickly put everything in it she would need when she went to the library after dinner. She then hurried over to Lavender's bureau and applied some of her mascara and lip gloss. She also put a little of Parvati's new Muggle perfume on. Hermione grabbed her bookbag off her bed and headed down to the common room. She, Ron and Harry left for the Great Hall.  
"Phew! What reeks? Is that you, Hermione? What did you do? Roll around in Parvati and Lavender's make-up or something?" Ron asked. Hermione blushed and picked up the pace. Once inside the Great Hall she took her usual seat across from Harry and Ron.  
'Why did I put on Lavender's make-up? Why did I put on Parvati's perfume? I'm not trying to impress Malfoy, am I? Damn it! I can't impress Malfoy. I'm a Mudblood. Even if I was trying, I'll never impress him. He'd be more impressed if I was pure blood over everything else! Damn you Malfoy!'  
  
Malfoy looked up from his seat at the Slytherin table and saw Hermione, a puzzled look on her face as she stared down into her potatoes. He gave a small grin as he remembered the kiss he and Hermione shared on the Quidditch pitch. He quickly realized many of the Slytherins around him were giving him a peculiar look and quickly placed a sour look on his face. He looked down at his plate, which was filled with food. He was starving, yet couldn't find the need to eat. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't. He kept glancing up at Hermione, waiting for her to leave the Great Hall. Annoyingly though, she stayed until all the platters and plates were empty. As Ron and Harry began to leave, he saw her glance his way. She gave a half smile when she saw Malfoy looking at her. She got up and followed Harry and Ron out of the Hall. Once she'd disappeared from sight, he got up.  
"I have to go work on my Arithmancy in the library. See you guys later," he told Crabbe and Goyle as he started walking away. He took his time walking to the Slytherin common room to retrieve the proper books, then took his time walking to the library. When he pushed open the library door, he glanced around for Hermione. He found her at her usual table at the back of the library. He walked over to her.  
"You're late," she said.  
"No, a Malfoy is never late, but always on time," he told her as he flopped down into a chair.  
"Which would you rather work on first? Arithmancy or Potions?" she asked.  
"What? You're not an option?" he teased. She grew red in the face as she pulled out her Potions book.  
"I thought we'd do the Polyjuice Potion. I know it really well and it won't be hard to research. I just don't have an idea for the presentation part," she said, still looking down at her book.  
"Whatever you'd like," he replied. He grabbed her hand and kissed it gently. Hermione looked up at him in shock.  
"What are you doing?" she asked.  
"Saving you," he told her.  
"But I don't need saving," she protested, "you do." Draco looked into her eyes.  
"Let's change the subject, okay Granger?" She had hit a nerve. She knew he wouldn't be too pleasant for a while. They worked quietly, Hermione researching their Arithmancy project, Draco researching the Polyjuice Potion. At 10 o'clock Madam Pince announced the library was closing for the night. Draco looked at Hermione.  
"Do you want to keep studying or are we done for the night?" he asked her. She looked at him a moment.  
"I was going to take some of these books back to the common room and do my work there....unless you had a different plan," she said cautiously.  
"I know a place where we can still work together and not get caught by any teachers. We'd be all alone. If you trust me enough, I'll take you there." Madam Pince cleared her throat loudly. Hermione began gathering up her books.  
"Let's go," she told Draco. He grinned and began gathering up his books. Outside of the library, Draco offered to carry Hermione's books.  
"No thank you, Malfoy. I'm fine on my own," she told him. This frustrated him, but he agreed nonetheless. He wasn't about to argue with Hermione Granger when he was all alone. Draco led Hermione up to the Divination tower. He tapped a portrait with his wand and muttered "Serpent's tongue". The portrait opened to reveal another small staircase. They climbed the staircase as the portrait closed. At the top she found herself on a small landing on top of the tower. Hermione let out a small gasp.  
"It's so beautiful up here! How did you ever come about it?"  
"Every House has a secret place like this! You just need to know who to ask and where to look. Because places like these aren't visited often enough, the password is never changed. I come up here whenever I need to clear my head at night. I love to feel the wind in my face. It reminds me of flying," he told her quietly. Hermione was amazed. Draco Malfoy had just shared a secret with her. She set her books down and joined Draco, who was standing next to the ledge. She looked into his face, into his eyes. She saw the pain in them. She wished to herself that she could make all his pains go away. Draco sat down on the edge and held Hermione's hand. She followed suit and sat down, too. She looked down the Tower.  
"Whoa! We're really high up!" she said. She began rocking slightly. Draco put his arm around her waist to steady her.  
"Afraid of heights?" he asked her, sincerely. She nodded. He tightened his grip on her. Hermione placed her head on his shoulder and sighed.  
"What?" Draco asked.  
"Nothing. I've just never felt so.....at peace before. It's very relaxing up here....with you," she said. Draco looked down into her face again. He placed his lips against hers. This kiss was much like the one on the Quidditch pitch. Passionate and intense, but sweet and slow, too. This kiss however, lasted much longer. It seemed like they were kissing for hours. Finally, Hermione pulled away.  
"Draco," she said. She opened her eyes. She saw the pain in his eyes and hers began to fill with tears.  
"Draco, what's wrong?" she asked, running her hand through his hair. He took a deep breath.  
"All those years of hating you. All those years of pain I caused you. It was all because of my father. He's the one that hates people like you. All he cares about are purebloods, and keeping the Wizarding World clean. I hate it!" he yelled. He rested his forehead on Hermione's.  
"This past summer, he asked me to be a Death Eater. And do you know what I said? I told him 'no'. I told him that I couldn't handle all of the pressure of becoming a Death Eater. I told him, I wasn't sure if I wanted to rid the Wizarding World of Muggle-born wizards and witches. Naturally, he hated my answer. He punished me. Called me awful names, tortured me. I was so angry with him for not being a proper father. Right before I left for Hogwarts, his last words to me were 'Draco, you have a year to decide your fate. Use your time wisely'. Not a good-bye, nothing. Why?" he continued. Hermione lifted his chin and kissed him lightly on the lips. A tingle spread throughout Draco's body.  
"Draco, whatever you choose to do will be your decision. Don't let your father influence it."  
"But Hermione, he's not the only thing stopping me from making up my mind. You are, too. I've liked you since first year. Please, tell me what to do," Draco confessed. Hermione was stunned. Had she just heard him right?  
"Uh, Draco. It's getting late. We should head back to our common rooms," she said, getting up. She felt horrible for pushing the subject under the rug, but she needed to take a little time to understand what Draco had just told her. Draco stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. He picked up his and Hermione's bookbag and started down the stairs. At the portrait hole, he stopped and looked at Hermione. He gave her a light kiss on the lips.  
"Would you like to get together again tomorrow?" he asked her.  
"Yes, but let's meet up for our spare period in the library. We can discuss everything else then," she told him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. He didn't want to let go of her. Finally though, he did let her go.  
"Good night Draco," she said, kissing him on the cheek. She headed out of the portrait hole, her insides screaming at her to turn around and go back to Draco.  
"Good night, Hermione" he whispered, putting his hand to the very spot Hermione just kissed. He stepped outside of the portrait hole and headed for his common room.  
  
Throwing herself onto her bed, Hermione heaved a sigh of relief with a huge smile on her face. Her time spent on the roof of the tower with Draco was replaying in her head. Hermione lay there for several minutes, just enjoying the realization of what had happened. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered and she found herself asleep. Her head was filled with dreams-- dreams of her and Draco together, dreams of Draco being punished by his father, dreams of her coming to his rescue after a particularly bad torture curse. Hermione's night of rest was mainly troubled and she tossed and turned all night long. She awoke the next morning with tears in her eyes. She still hadn't been able to grasp what Draco had confessed to her the previous night. She made a decision to talk to him about it that night on the tower.  
Draco took his time, making his way to the Slytherin common room. His head swirled with thoughts of Hermione. He loved how peaceful she looked in his arms, how she kissed so softly, how she fit perfectly next to him, the way she smiled, the look in her eyes when she looked at him. 'Get a hold of yourself you idiot! This is Granger! What did I just do tonight? I've fought with these damned feelings for six years now, and at the slightest notice of weakness everything comes flooding out! Bloody brilliant!' Draco conintued his internal ongoing battle about Hermione as he walked up to the portrait. He gave the password to the portrait and entered the common room. He found no one there; only the comforting glow of the warm fire welcomed him. Draco trudged up the stairs to his room. He lazily threw his books on the floor beside his bed. Pulling his robes off, he fell onto his bed. He kicked his shoes off and put his hands behind his head. 'I know what I told her tonight, but why? Why did I suddenly have the need to tell her how I felt about her?' Draco couldn't understand it. As he slowly drifted off to sleep, he finally muttered his discovery out loud.  
"I'm falling in love with Hermione Granger," he said to himself before falling into a deep sleep. 


	2. chapter two

Draco awoke the next morning and sat up quickly in a slight daze.  
'Why am I still in my school clothes? What's that funny feeling in my chest? Oh yeah! Last night.......Hermione........beautiful......amazing.......' he thought to himself as he got out of bed. He grabbed a new set of clothes and headed for the showers. As he entered the bathroom, he saw Crabbe and Goyle standing at the sinks, brushing their teeth. Draco gave them a wave as he headed for the empty shower stall at the back of the room. Once Draco was done in the shower, he towelled off and put on his clean set of clothes. When he stepped out of the stall, he was shocked to find Crabbe and Goyle both standing outside of the stall. Draco gave them a curious look.  
"Uh, Draco, are you, uh, feeling all right?" Goyle asked, hesitating.  
"What? No, I feel fine! Why?" Draco responded.  
"Well, you were, um, humming in the shower," Goyle told him. Draco had replaced the curious look on his face with a shocked one.  
"I was what?!?" he demanded.  
"Humming," Crabbe said. 'Oh SHIT! I must really be falling for her!' Draco sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands, trying hard to hide his feelings from Crabbe and Goyle.  
'Well, it isn't really a bad thing at all to be falling for Hermione. She's a wonderful person. And Merlin, is she beautiful! Potter and Weasley have NO idea what they're missing!' Draco's thoughts of Hermione continued to push their way through all his other thoughts. He walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast in such a daze, he continually bumped into other students and the occasional professor on his way. He hadn't realized the people he was bumping into until he walked right into Professor McGonagall.  
"MR. MALFOY!" Professor McGonagall shrieked as Draco walked straight into her. Draco stuttered, looking for an excuse.  
"Five points from Slytherin, for not paying attention!" McGonagall said before stalking off. Several dozen pairs of eyes were now on Draco, though he still didn't notice. He continued his way to the Great Hall, attentive and with his eyes wide open. Draco took his usual seat at the far end of the table between Crabbe and Goyle. His eyes immediately glanced up across the Hall to the Gryffindor table. He caught sight of Hermione and felt as if his life energy had just been replenished. He grabbed his plate and began filling it high with food. He ate quickly, trying to make time go faster than it would. He wanted to be near Hermione again, look into her chocolate brown eyes filled with warm and tender love. As the Great Hall began to empty, he stayed rooted in his seat. He was waiting for Hermione to move. He kept his grey eyes on Hermione, waiting. Minutes passed and Draco found himself alone at the Slytherin table and only Hermione and her two nitwit friends were left in the Great Hall. He finally heard Potter and Weasley announce they should be leaving for their Divination class. Hermione got up and followed them. Draco gave them a minute before he too got up and followed them out of the Hall. Instead of following the Trio, he ran down to the Slytherin dungeon to retrieve his books then headed for the library. He took the table at the back that Hermione usually chose. He opened his books and anticipated Hermione's arrival.  
  
Hermione walked her two friends to their Divination class and then directed herself towards the Gryffindor common room. She grabbed her books off the table in front of the fire, stopping to pet Crookshanks, and headed out of the portrait hole for the library.  
'We're only getting together now to work, study, and compile our findings for the two projects we're paired for. Yes, I'll keep my mind focused on his gorgeously toned and muscular chest, I mean the projects and we'll discuss when to get together next. That's right. Sounds good to me. But I also need to talk to him about last night. Damn it! I can't do both at the same time! SHIT!' Hermione battled herself internally all the way from her common room to the library. When she opened the library door, she was surprised to see Draco already there with his books opened, and him working. She approached him quietly. She placed a hand on his shoulder and she felt him tense slightly before shivering.  
"So that's the kind of effect I have on you then?" she teased him, sitting down across from him.  
"No, you just startled me," he explained, not looking up from his book. She looked at him a moment, taking in his beauty and the rarity of this exact moment.  
"Draco..." she began. He looked up from his book and she saw the understanding in his eyes.  
"About last night. I.....it's just......what you told me......I wasn't prepared for it.......I'm shocked........but I do care for you. I've always cared for you. Every time you've called me Mudblood, it's felt like you were stabbing me in the heart! I just don't want anything to happen between us if you're going to continue being like that," she said, tears forming in her eyes. Draco reached up and wiped away a lone tear that had escaped her eye.  
"Hermione, I care for you a great deal. Probably more than you'll ever know. I am trying to fix myself so that we can be together. But I may need your help," he explained. Hermione wiped her eyes with her robes and stood up, striding to an aisle of books out of view from everyone else. Draco, interested and concerned, followed her. He walked up behind her, preparing to give her a hug. Instead, she whipped around and began kissing him fiercely. Shocked by this sudden reaction from her, Draco at first attempted to push her away. But she only pulled him closer. He eventually gave in and kissed her back, only more tenderly. It only lasted a minute, but it was a minute of pure bliss for the both of them. Hermione broke off the kiss, desperate for air. She looked deep into Draco's eyes and smiled.  
"I found it," she told him.  
"Found what?" he asked her.  
"Your heart," she said as her smile grew. He smiled too and hugged her. He then directed her back to the table.  
"Draco, I hate to do this but I think I'd like to be alone for a bit. Do you mind if we switch notes for now and copy them separately? I'll return yours in Arithmancy," she asked. Draco's heart fell a little, but knew it was the right thing to do for her.  
"Of course. I'll see you in Arithmancy," he said, pecking her on the cheek before she left. She grabbed his hand for a second, then, letting it fall, she left the library. Draco opened his hand to reveal a small piece of parchment.  
  
Draco,  
Thank you for last night. I'd love to meet you again tonight. After curfew, same place. Don't bring your homework this time though. We can do it tomorrow (maybe). See you later.  
Love, H  
  
Draco read the letter a second time, his face in a full grin. He grabbed his books and headed back to the Slytherin dungeon to copy Hermione's notes. He couldn't wait for Arithmancy.  
  
Hermione closed the library door and leaned her head against the cool wood. She had told Draco the truth. She had given him her note. Now all that was left was fate and hope. She gathered her thoughts and walked the long walk to the Gryffindor common room. She dropped her books on the common room table and began to pull out Draco's notes and a clean piece of parchment to write on. She stared at the empty piece of parchment for what seemed like hours. She had only written the title. Her head swirled with thoughts of Draco. She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard the portrait swing open.  
"Hermione?"  
"Hmmm.....What? Oh, hello. How was class?" she asked, snapping out of her dream.  
"Fine," Harry said, "but Trelawney's off her rocker again. She told me and Ron that a member of our group would fall for the enemy. She's such a nutter!" Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  
"Well, Hermione, aren't you supposed to be leaving now? If you don't you'll be late for you Arithmancy class," Harry continued.  
"Right, forgot I guess. See you both at lunch," she said, getting up quickly and walking out of the portrait hole. She walked as fast as her short legs could carry her. Thankfully, Arithmancy was only two floors below the Gryffindor common room so she didn't have far to walk. She entered the classroom just before the Professor began the lesson.  
"You'll be sitting with your partners today. You will compare notes, exchange information and gather new information from the books I have borrowed from the library," the Professor told them, before returning to the papers she was grading. Draco got up from his seat and crossed the classroom, taking the seat next to Hermione. Draco leaned close to her.  
"I got your note," he whispered, before returning to his notes. Arithmancy class passed quickly and eventless, except for that moment when Draco grabbed her hand under the desk, gave it a squeeze then let it go again. Hermione hurried to lunch. She was wishing the day was over, that it was curfew. She wanted desperately to be alone with Draco, away from prying eyes. She entered the Great Hall and found Harry and Ron.  
"I'm not feeling well," she told them, grabbing a few sandwiches from the tray, "I'm going to lie down for a little. I will be in Transfiguration though. Don't worry about me, I can manage getting to class on my own." She hurried away quickly, not allowing them any time for questions. Once inside the safety of the common room she headed for her bed and she did indeed lie down, but her head filled with thoughts and dreams of Draco. Her sandwiches lay untouched on her bedside table.  
'Why Draco, of all people to fall for? And why did he fall for me? Why am I the one destined to save him? I am Muggle-born, he is Pureblood. His father could kill one of us for simply being FRIENDS! But I cannot give him up. He's intoxicating! Like a forbidden fruit.' Hermione's head clouded during lunchtime. She nearly entered Transfiguration class late. She took her seat next to Neville Longbottom just as Professor McGonagall began telling the class they would be turning books into broomsticks. Hermione cast a glance at the set of desks across the aisle from her and found Draco doing the same thing. She looked away, blushing. Transfiguration proved harder than normal for her. She couldn't concentrate and by the end of class she still hadn't turned her book into a broomstick, while Harry had. Ron had managed to turn his book into a water goblet, something they had learned in their second year. And Neville had managed to miss his book and hit his toad, Trevor, with the charm and now Trevor was a box of toothpicks for the time being. After Transfiguration, both the Gryffindors and the Slytherins had Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had returned for this year. He went back to his somewhat odd ways of teaching. He planned lessons normally and around every full moon they still covered werewolves with their replacement professors. In today's lesson, they were studying vampires and ways to identify them. The class buzzed with activity all afternoon. Hermione was thankful to be out of there for dinner. Her heart was racing in anticipation for her meeting with Draco. She stayed at the dinner table, although she picked at her meal. As people began to slowly file out of the Great Hall for their evening activities, Hermione grew nervous. Ron and Harry got up suddenly.  
"Where are you two going?" she questioned, rather harshly.  
"Quidditch practice 'Moine, remember?" Harry reminded her. She nodded as they exchanged their good-byes. Hermione grabbed her books and began for the Gryffindor common room. On her way she passed an open classroom door. She peeked in and saw nothing. She was about to leave when someone pushed her in all the way and closed the door behind her. She grabbed her wand.  
"Lumos," she said. The room filled with a pale light. She turned around and came face to face with Draco.  
"I couldn't wait until later. I had to have another kiss from you. Please?" he asked, giving her a sad look. She bit her bottom lip. Draco gave a bit of a moan and leaned in to kiss her. She had been waiting for his lips to touch hers, but they didn't.  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
"Nothing. I was just admiring you," he told her.  
"Draco, I don't want to get caught. Can this wait another few hours?" she asked, disappointed. Draco sighed. He nodded his head and began for the door. Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him back. She kissed him, but only on the cheek.  
"A present and a reminder for later," she said, before passing him and opening the door. Draco stood there a minute, momentarily frozen. He couldn't wait for later!  
  
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Curfew had just begun. Students began drowsily heading for their dorm rooms. Eventually only Harry, Ron and Hermione were left. Harry and Ron got up.  
"Are you going to bed soon?" Harry asked Hermione.  
"I want to finish these notes first. I have to give them back to Draco, I mean Malfoy first thing tomorrow morning," she explained. Her friends gave her a fretful look before heading off to bed. Once the coast was clear, Hermione ran into her dorm room and pulled out a cardboard box from under her bed. She took the box into the bathroom where she began pulling out products. She took a quick shower before leaving to meet Draco. She put on only lip gloss this time. She couldn't be fussed with all that make-up again. But, she did use the products that she had in the box. She quickly stowed the box back under her bed and left the common room. She approached the same portrait Draco had taken her to the night before. She whispered the password and slipped inside the portrait hole. She climbed the stairs. On the roof, she saw Draco. He was standing near the edge of tower, his hands in his pockets, the wind blowing his hair around lightly. Hermione let out a small gasp at this sight. Draco spun around. His face immediately produced a smile. He held out his arms and Hermione hurried into them.  
"I've missed you," he whispered.  
"I've missed you, too," she whispered back. Draco broke the embrace and sat cross-legged on the cold stone ground near the wall. Hermione stood in front of him, attempting to sit on his lap facing him. This caused Draco to catch a glimpse of her red underwear with gold trim.  
'How very Gryffindor' he thought with a smirk. Hermione finally sat down, wrapping her legs around his waist.  
"What?" she asked, blushing.  
"Nothing!" he said, his smirk turning into a devilish grin. Hermione turned a second, third and fourth shade of red. Draco inhaled deeply, breathing in Hermione's scent.  
"Mmmmmmm, you smell like strawberries! Do you taste like them, too?" he teased, kissing her passionately. She threw her head back and he trailed kisses along her neck. His kisses always sent goosebumps up her spine. She shuddered. A sly smile spread across Draco's face as he continued to torture Hermione with kisses. She sat forward again and looked Draco in the eye. Tonight his eyes were full of passion and care. Hermione got up off of his lap and sat on the edge of the tower, her legs swinging over the side. Draco shuffled to the empty spot next to her. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her.  
"Draco..."  
"Hmmmm?"  
"About last night..." she hesitated. She didn't want to spoil the moment but she needed to say something. Draco turned his head and looked at her. She had tears in her eyes. He pulled her closer.  
"Go on," he told her.  
"Well, I've thought about what you told me all day and I've finally come up with an answer. I've been troubled with emotions over you for six years. I never knew how to handle them, but I'd just like to say I will help you. I'd like us to be together, and if you need help to get there, than I'm willing to help you." Draco smiled slightly and placed a kiss on top of her head.  
"Thank you," he whispered. He got up and sat on the opposite side of the tower, his back against the cold stonewall. Hermione watched him, tears falling free from her eyes.  
"Draco, what's wrong?" she asked.  
"I just don't know what to do. I care for you Hermione! But my father....he'd kill us if he found out about us. It's so hard to figure out which is better for us." Hermione crawled over to where Draco was sitting and held him protectively.  
"No one can stop us if we love each other enough," she told him.  
"But you don't understand! My father...." he trailed off. Draco had lost all sense of what he was saying. Hermione had grabbed his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. She then got up.  
"Draco, if you can't open up to me more, if you can't think past your father, how can I help you?" She kissed him lightly on the forehead and headed for the door.  
"I'm going to go now. Just remember, I care for you dearly. I'll be back tomorrow night. Please come, too," she said and left the tower.  
"I love you," Draco whispered into the wind before curling up into a ball on the tower floor.  
  
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'What have I done? Why did I leave? I should have stayed, helped him. Damn it Hermione! You've gone and messed up the greatest thing that's ever happened to you!' Hermione scolded herself the entire way to Gryffindor tower. She entered the common room and took a seat in a chair by the fire. She stared into the fire for many hours, processing her thoughts. She eventually curled up in her chair and cried herself to sleep.  
  
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Draco stayed on the tower roof all night. He drifted in and out of various states of sleep. He saw the sun rise, comparing it to Hermione's beauty. He knew he should have been more open with her. He wished he didn't talk about his father all the time, but everything fell back to him.  
"I HATE YOU FATHER!" he yelled, before leaving the tower for the day. He entered the Slytherin common room, his face filled with sadness. He retrieved a clean set of clothes and took his shower, attempting to go about his usual routine without incident. Once he left the bathroom, a huge veil of sadness covered him and he felt he could not make it through the day. He told Crabbe and Goyle he wasn't feeling well and opted to spend the day in bed, just in case. Draco spent much of his day in front of the window, looking out at the world. Being with Hermione had made him see the world differently. He saw the first years learning how to fly, and felt a great deal of pride for a moment. He saw random students, sitting on the lawn throughout the grounds, studying or just talking with friends. Draco was envious of these students. As popular as he was, he'd never experienced what it was like to have a true friend, or a true love. Every time his thoughts fell back to Hermione, he felt a stab of pain in his chest. 'Was love supposed to feel like this? Was it always this painful?' Draco stayed in his room that day until he left to meet Hermione that evening. 


	3. chapter three

Hermione was awoken the next morning by Harry and Ron.  
"Hermione, what's wrong?" "Why did you spend the night in the common room?" "Why are your eyes so red and puffy?" "What happened to your books?" She was attacked with questions from her two friends. Hermione gave no answer, only sighed before getting up and heading for her room. She took a long, hot shower that morning, trying to wash away the guilt she felt about leaving Draco the night before. She missed breakfast but she didn't care. She had no appetite. She dragged herself to her classes for the day. In Muggle Studies, she simply ignored the professor. Her mind still lay with Draco, on the tower. In Potions, Hermione found herself oddly alone. She was forced to sit through the entire class without her partner. She instead continued her research, even if she didn't get one new thing written down. At lunch, she hid herself away in the library. She poured over a piece of parchment, attempting to write out all her feelings, to lighten her heart. It didn't work. During her afternoon classes, she still felt miserable. During Herbology, Professor Sprout lectured them on the newest plant they were learning about. Hermione didn't write a single note down, or even catch the name of the plant. During her final class of the day, Transfiguration, she kept glancing at the set of desks across the aisle from her so much that Professor McGonagall caught her and questioned her on it. Hermione simply explained that she thought she kept seeing something odd out of the corner of her eye. After Transfiguration, she excused herself from supper, producing odd looks from Harry and Ron. She walked herself to the Gryffindor tower. Upon entering the common room, she broke into a run up the stairs and into her room. She slammed the door shut, locking it and proceeded to throw her books around the room. She was so angry, but had no idea why she was, or how it came about. She eventually collapsed, leaning against the door.  
"What have I gotten myself into?" she asked herself.  
  
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Draco muttered the password and slipped silently through the portrait hole. He crept up the stairs and into the awaiting moonlight. He sat on the edge of the tower, replaying his speech in his head. But Draco knew that no matter how many times he went over it, as soon as he saw Hermione, he'd forget it all. He heard a small rustling sound behind him and whipped around. He faced a small owl with no note attached to its leg.  
'Odd,' he thought, 'I've never actually seen an owl without a note.' He shrugged it off and turned back to stare at the horizon. He sat alone for several minutes before he heard another small noise behind him.  
"Ruddy owl," Draco said aloud.  
"Excuse me?!" the sound maker asked sharply. Draco winced. He recognized the voice instantly. He turned back again to find his father in the owl's spot.  
"Su-sorry Father. I didn't realize you were there," Draco stammered out.  
"A Malfoy never needs to apologize and a Malfoy never has to explain himself," Lucius Malfoy growled at his son. He looked directly at Draco with a fire in his eyes.  
"What are you doing up here at this time of night Draco?" Lucius questioned his son.  
"Using my time wisely," Draco answered back almost too quickly. Lucius eyed him suspiciously.  
"I see," Lucius said, "and this has nothing to do with that Mudblood you've been hanging around with in class now, does it?" Draco brought his eyes down to his hands, which were nervously playing with the hems of his robe at the sound of his father calling Hermione a Mudblood.  
"No, Father," Draco croaked out. He knew if he didn't regain his usual Malfoy composure soon, Hermione would find him and his father arguing on the tower roof.  
"Very well, dear son," Lucius said. They remained as they were for a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.  
"Well Draco, remember, use your time wisely. And stop being so civil with the Mudblood," Lucius told him before turning on his heel and leaving the tower. Draco let out a sigh of relief once his father was gone. Draco shifted in his spot on the edge of the tower.  
'Hermione should be here any minute now!' he thought to himself excitedly. But Draco waited and waited. He continued to wait for what seemed like days. Finally getting up, he realized he'd done something wrong to offend Hermione.  
'That must be it. Why else would she have not come?' Draco thought to himself. He headed for the stairs, wishing he could fix whatever he'd messed up with Hermione when the portrait suddenly swung open. It was Hermione.  
"Oh Draco!" she cried, flinging her herself at him and throwing her arms around his neck. She buried her face in the robes on his shoulder. He rubbed her back and assured her everything was fine as she cried. As she finally stopped crying, Draco held her back slightly, looking into her eyes.  
"What's wrong?" he asked her softly. Her eyes welled up with tears again, but none fell.  
"I-I came up the stairs to the tower and I almost ran into your father. I jumped behind a suit of armour before he saw me. Bu-but when I saw he had come from behind this portrait, I-I thought the worst, Draco! I stayed behind that suit of armour for an hour, too scared to move, even if it meant you might be hurt. I feel so horrible about it. I'm a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake!" she explained. Draco shushed her and brought her back into a hug.  
"Everything is fine now. I'm okay, especially now that you're here," he told her.  
"But you could have been dead!" she cried in his ear, a little too loudly. She broke free from his grasp and brushed past him up the stairs. Draco followed her up the stairs. She came to a stop at the edge of the tower, where he had just been sitting. He stopped just behind her, but didn't approach her like usual.  
"You...you were that worried?!" he asked quietly. Hermione nodded.  
"Yes, Draco. I...I...I think I'm falling in love with you." She kept her eyes on the ground as she spoke. She took a few steps towards him. He reached out and grabbed her hands, pulling her close to him. He breathed in deeply.  
"You still smell like strawberries," he noted. She gave a small smile. Suddenly, the sound of two small lions could be heard throughout the roof of the tower.  
"You skipped dinner, too?" he questioned her. She gave a small nod. He let her go and headed for the stairs.  
"Be right back," he said before racing down the stairs and out of the portrait hole. He returned ten minutes later with a basket filled with fried chicken, bread, apples, cookies and strawberries in one hand, and a quart of pumpkin juice and two glasses in the other. He also bore a huge smile. He placed the food on the floor and took a seat. Hermione hesitated a moment before sitting down beside him.  
"Where'd you get this?" she asked him, eyeing the food. "Please say the kitchens." Draco gave her his most mischievous smile. He waited a moment to answer her.  
"Of course!" he said. Hermione gave a small sigh of relief. He separated the food and handed Hermione her half. She was about to take a bite of chicken when Draco spoke up again.  
"Tell me what it was like growing up in the Muggle world." She thought for a moment, while chewing on her chicken, then she began her story. She told him all she could about Muggle hospitals, Muggle schools, her parents, the pets she had growing up, her birthdays, her friends, the day she found out she was a witch, and her last few days as a true Muggle before she received her acceptance letter from Hogwarts. Draco just sat there in awe. He said nothing as she spoke, only nodded occasionally. When she finished, she took a deep breath.  
"Draco, can you tell me what it's like growing up in the wizarding world?" she asked. He took a sip of pumpkin juice and began his story. He told her about St. Mungo's, being home-schooled until the age of eleven, being able to do magic anytime, flying on a broomstick, travelling by the many methods of wizarding transportation and what it was like growing up a Malfoy. He went on to explain to her about his father's connection with Lord Voldemort and how, since his birth, his father has expected him to become a Death Eater on his seventeenth birthday.  
"So, after saying all that, there's something I have to tell you, Hermione. I'm afraid of my father. I'm afraid of what he's capable of when he's angry. And I'm afraid that, no matter how much I love you, it will never be enough. I've never loved anyone the way I love you, but I think you deserve someone better than me. I'm sorry, Hermione, but...but I think it may be better if we stopped this relationship we have." Draco was near tears. It was a rather odd sensation, as he had never cried before. Hermione sat beside him, crying her eyes out, her mouth hanging open in shock, a strawberry in her hand. She stood up and threw the strawberry at him.  
"Draco Malfoy, you're a cruel, heartless bastard! I hate you! And I don't think I'll EVER be able to forgive you for this!" she screamed before running down the stairs and out of the portrait hole. Draco hung his head and let his tears fall.  
"What have I done?" he asked himself.  
  
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Over the course of the next week, Harry and Ron noticed a huge change in Hermione. She couldn't sit through an entire meal, she sat by herself in the back of Potions (leaving them to sit beside Malfoy), she was found often in the common room crying, a few nights she fell asleep in a common room chair, she wasn't paying as much attention in class, and when they were in the tower, she often locked herself up in her room. They also heard from Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil that Hermione was having loads of problems in Arithmancy. Normally Harry and Ron would have simply waited for the mood swing to pass, but she never had trouble in a class before. Against Ron's pleas ("You know she can hex us right?"), Harry decided to talk to Hermione. After dinner Harry and Ron headed for the common room instead of the library like usual. They passed through the portrait hole and saw Hermione sitting in front of the fire. Upon further inspection, they saw she was crying. Hermione hadn't noticed she had an audience until Harry finally said something.  
"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked her. She jumped at the sound of his voice and quickly wiped her eyes dry with a tissue.  
"No-nothing's wrong, I'm fine! Can't you see? Fine!" her voice wavered and became high-pitched. Harry and Ron sat in the chairs to Hermione's sides. Harry touched her arm gently. She pulled it away quickly.  
"Listen Hermione, we know something's up. And if you need to talk to us, we're here for you," Harry told her. Ron nodded. Both boys got up and proceeded to leave.  
"No! Please don't go!" she asked. They both sat back down.  
"I have some explaining to do to both of you. I've never been like this before and frankly, it scares me so much," she told them. They listened intently as she told them just about everything between her and Draco.  
"And then last week, to the day actually, he told me we couldn't be together anymore because of his father! I don't give a rat's tail about his father! I love Draco and I thought he loved me and I thought that was all that mattered!" Ron had a strange look on his face. It was a cross between shock, anger, jealousy, confusion and a little fear. But Harry stayed straight faced. He opened his mouth.  
"I know you both may not like what I have to say, but it has to be said. Hermione, I'm honestly shocked that you would ever consider dating Malfoy. However, if he made you happy at the time, you would have had my full support. All I want is to see you happy. You're like a part of my family and if you're not happy, I'm not happy. I'm asking you, but you don't have to answer. Is there any way Malfoy can make it up to you?" Ron opened his mouth to protest but Hermione reached over and covered his mouth with her hand as she thought a moment about Harry's question.  
"There's only one way, Harry. I want him to prove to me that he still loves me. I want him to stand up to his father and I want him to tell his father that he loves me." Both Ron and Harry had shocked looks on their faces. They hadn't expected such an impossible answer. Harry regained his composure and continued talking to Hermione.  
"So that's it?" he asked. She nodded.  
"Okay then! And Hermione," he patted her hand and got up, "you know you can talk to us, well, me, about anything." Hermione smiled at him.  
"Well, I'm off to bed," he told them. Harry flashed Ron a 'come-on- and-leave-her-alone' look and headed up the stairs to his room. Ron gave a fake yawn as he stretched.  
"I'm off to bed, too, Hermione" he said as he got up.  
"Thank you! And good night!" she called after them. She went back to staring into the fireplace.  
  
Inside the dorm room, Harry pulled out a piece of parchment along with his quill and an ink-well.  
"What are you going to do with those?" Ron asked.  
"I need to tell Malfoy what Hermione said, Ron. As much as I hate saying it, they need each other. You've seen how Hermione's been. And Malfoy isn't much better. I'm the one sitting next to him in Potions, you know!" Harry explained, "I'm just going to write a simple letter telling Malfoy what Hermione told us and that will be it!" Ron furrowed his brow, but didn't stop Harry. Harry began scribbling away on the parchment. He stopped once or twice to re-read what he had written. Finally satisfied, Harry put his quill down.  
"Want me to read it?" he asked. Ron nodded. Harry cleared his throat and began:  
  
Malfoy,  
Before you dismiss this letter, it is important that you understand that, if you do dismiss this letter, you won't have a relationship with Hermione ever again. Ron and I recently had a talk with Hermione and she told us she still loves you but the only way you can win her back basically is to tell your father you love her. I'm not telling you to do it. That is your own decision. I'm simply letting you know what you have to do in order to get her back. But please consider it. Hermione is a terrible wreck. She can't eat or sleep without thinking of you. I'd rather her be with you, than alone and miserable. And know this, I'm writing to you for Hermione's sake, not yours. But please don't tell Hermione I wrote to you. She would be furious.  
Sincerely,  
Harry Potter  
  
Ron looked at Harry after the letter had been read.  
"You had to bring me into it, didn't you?" Ron shot at Harry. Harry rolled his eyes and walked over to his owl, Hedwig, who was sitting on Harry's bedside table. He tied the letter to her leg.  
"Now Hedwig, listen closely. I need this letter delivered to Draco Malfoy in Slytherin House. If you can't deliver it to him tonight, deliver it to him tomorrow at breakfast." Hedwig hooted in understanding and flew off.  
  
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Draco stirred in his sleep at the sound of knocking.  
"Answer the bloody door!" he yelled only to be muffled by a pillow. When no one did and the knocking continued, Draco sat up. He looked around at the other beds and found them all empty. Draco threw his blankets off of him and stomped his way to the door. He flung it open.  
"What do you...want?" he asked, finding himself staring into nothing but thin air. He slammed the door shut and stomped back to his bed. He sat on the edge and held his head in his hands.  
'This is bloody wonderful! I can't sleep for a week because of what happened with Hermione and on the first night I finally manage to doze off, someone is playing games with my damn mind!' he thought to himself as the knocking started again. He went back to the door and opened it. Again, nothing there, but the knocking continued. He left the door open and looked around him. He thought of every possible place someone could be hiding, but quickly dismissing each one with a good enough excuse. His final option was the windows. He looked at the first three and saw nothing. But he looked at the fourth window and saw a large snowy owl. He opened the window and untied the letter from its leg. He looked at who it was addressed to and was shocked to find his name there. He poked the owl out of the room and closed the window. He opened the letter and read it over. When he finished, he had mixed emotions about it. He was angry that the letter was from Potter, relieved it wasn't from his father, happy that Hermione still loved him and very, very sad that he couldn't be with her then. Draco sat up for many hours after receiving the letter, contemplating what to do in his situation with Hermione and whether he should answer Harry back or not. All night he fought with the decision to write Harry back. Just as the sun began to rise for a new day, Draco yawned and took out a piece of parchment. He wrote a response to Harry and ran down to the owlery. He tied his letter to a school owl and gave the owl its instructions, then Draco headed back to the Slytherin dungeon. He was in great need of a shower to wake him up. Once he'd finished, he headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. He forced himself to eat a piece of toast as he waited for Harry's letter to be delivered. Just as Draco put the last bite of his toast into his mouth, owls began swooping into the Hall. He gulped down his pumpkin juice, keeping an eye out for the owl he had picked. He spotted it and felt a small feeling of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. As Harry reached for the letter, Draco got up and left the Great Hall, all the while hoping he'd done the right thing.  
  
An owl landed softly onto the table in front of Harry. Harry untied the letter from the owl's leg before the owl flew off. Harry opened the letter.  
"Who's it from?" Hermione asked.  
"Oh, it's from, uh, Fred and George," he said, handing the letter to Ron. Ron quickly scanned the letter and understood what Harry was doing. Ron followed along.  
"Great! It's been awhile!" Ron said.  
"So how are they?" she asked him. Ron gave Harry a worried look. Harry could only stare back at him.  
"Oh, uh, they're fine Hermione. They say they've come up with something new. Didn't give any details though. Said it's to be kept a secret until we're home for the summer," Ron managed to say suddenly.  
"Well, when you owl them back, tell them I say hello," she told him before going back to her breakfast.  
"Will do," he muttered, giving Harry a bit of a confused look. Ron read the letter completely, his eyes slowly widening with shock as he progressed through the letter. Harry stood up when Ron gave the impression he was done reading the letter.  
"I'm going to add some last minute things to our Divination homework before class. See you later, Hermione. Ron," he said. Ron stood up and followed Harry, giving Hermione a small wave. She managed a smile before getting up herself and heading for the Gryffindor common room.  
  
Harry and Ron ran to the library. They huddled at the table in the back corner. Ron passed the letter to Harry so he could read it.  
  
Harry,  
Thanks for your concern about Hermione and myself. I'm thankful you sent me the information. It will be greatly needed to gain Hermione's trust back. I'm unaware of how I'll do so, however. I'd also like to let you know that I too have been a terrible mess without Hermione. I'm sure you haven't noticed though. I too, love her, but in order for our relationship to progress, I need to swallow my pride and destroy my father's hopes and dreams for me. No matter how absurd they were. As for not telling Hermione, I may have to. It would be odd owling her my letter without having an explanation. But, if I do use your information in my letter to her, I will ask her not to repeat it to you and you will never hear of it again. Hermione is faithful like that. She is a very good secret keeper. Thank you again for your concern. I will attempt to keep you updated. And please be aware, I may need your help again in the future.  
  
Draco Malfoy  
  
Harry's mouth hung open in shock.  
"Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or was that letter from Malfoy...civil?" Harry asked Ron.  
"I'm too scared to think Harry," Ron half joked. Harry read it a second time before tucking into his nearest textbook. He pulled out his Divination homework, trying to add any last minutes details he may have forgotten. He sat, staring at his piece of parchment for almost half an hour, before he finally threw down his quill in anger and began gathering up his books. Ron noticed this display of anger and just watched Harry until he was finished with his fit.  
"Problem?" Ron asked finally. Harry gave Ron a nasty glare before packing up the remainder of his things. Ron followed suit and ran after Harry out of the library. Ron didn't catch up to Harry until the Divination Tower.  
"Ha-Harry, wait-wait up-for me" Ron huffed and puffed near the top of the stairs. Harry stopped and turned to see Ron having so much trouble.  
"Oh, sorry Ron. I must not have been paying attention," Harry explained.  
"Why-why are you so...angry?" Ron said, slowly beginning to catch his breath.  
"Well, it's really just the whole thing with Malfoy. Hermione deserves better but if she never gets back with Malfoy, she'll be heart- broken. It's so frustrating. And I don't know if I should help Malfoy with Hermione anymore," Harry told Ron. Ron gave Harry a sympathetic look.  
"Harry, if you didn't want Malfoy to be with Hermione at all, you never would have told him what she said in the common room to us in the first place." Harry shook his head.  
"I know, but still...." Ron put a supportive hand on Harry's shoulder before climbing the ladder up to the Divination class. Harry stood on the tower floor a moment longer, before following Ron.  
  
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Hermione, stopping outside the Gryffindor portrait as she mumbled the password ("salamander seeds"), paused before entering. She wasn't sure if she should go in. She still had some Potions stuff to research and a few things left in Arthimancy to go over before her next class. She also had to get together with Draco for both classes to organize all their information.  
  
"Are you going in or not, child!?" she heard the Fat Lady shriek, interrupting her thoughts. Hermione sighed and stepped through the portrait hole. Inside was deserted. Not many sixth-years had a spare period. In fact, none of them with the exception of her. She slowly walked to the big table by the fireplace and sat in the chair behind it. She took her Potions work out of her bag and spread it out on the table. She looked over her information, piece by piece. She re-read what she'd written so far. Then she tried to continue her work, leafing through random papers, not really recalling anything.  
'Why the bloody hell can't I concentrate?!' she wondered to herself as she stared at the same page for five minutes. Eventually giving up, she grabbed all her work and shoved it back into her bag. She then walked up to her room, where she threw her bookbag on the floor and lay down on her bed, looking up at the canopy. She let her mind wander, but it always came back to Draco.  
'Why did he have to say that stuff about his father? He knew I loved him! WHY????? The stupid git! Obviously he didn't love me if he said that stuff. How could I have been so foolish? Oh, but no matter how much I want to hate him, I can't. I know his father is horrible, and I can see why he said what he did. But still.....' Hermione began to cry. She didn't cry long before she heard a faint tapping. She wiped her eyes on her robes and got off her bed. She looked around at the windows and saw nothing. She raced into the common room to find a small minute owl perched on a ledge. She opened the window and let the owl in long enough for her to untie the letter on its leg. Once she had the letter, the owl flew off quickly. She closed the window and sat down in the chair in front of the fireplace. As she opened the letter to read, something silver fell on her lap.  
  
Hermione,  
Before you shut me out of your life completely, I have a few things I need to say to you. Firstly, I still love you and always will. What I said that night on the tower was never meant to hurt you the way it did. I'm truly sorry. Secondly, I've never loved anyone the way I love you and I will never love anyone that much ever again. I thought you needed to know that. As for regaining your love and trust, Harry owled me and told me what I need to do. Don't go and get angry at Harry though. If he hadn't told me, then you wouldn't be reading this letter right now. I will be confronting my father and telling him about our relationship and my love for you. I just need to figure out the best time to tell him.  
Hermione, before I go, I need you to know I've never felt more alive than when I'm with you. I'm a terrible wreck without you. Please don't tell Harry or Ron you know he owled me. I miss you.  
Love, Draco  
  
P.S. This necklace was mine. I want you to have it as a token and a reminder of our better times together. I'm not asking you to wear it, but simply keep it for yourself.  
  
Hermione picked up the necklace and held it close to her face. It was a small silver snake, held on to a simple silver chain. Hermione flipped the snake charm over in her hands and found an inscription. 'To my one and only, love Draco' Hermione's eyes welled up with tears as she clutched the necklace close to her heart. She was suddenly interrupted by the portrait swinging open. She quickly picked up the letter and placed it, along with the necklace, in her pocket. Rubbing her eyes, she was slightly surprised to see Harry and Ron approaching her.  
"Why are you back from Divination so early?" she asked them.  
"Trelawney predicted another one of Harry's deaths. Only this one was much worse, according to her, and after announcing it, she fainted. Dumbledore had to come and fix the disaster," Ron explained. A smile twitched slightly at the corners of Hermione's mouth. She remembered how during every class, Professor Trelawney would predict a new death for Harry.  
"Well, if you'll give me a moment to retrieve my books from my room, we can head to Potions a little early," she told them. Ron had a nasty look on his face.  
"At least it isn't double Potions," she reminded him. He shrugged and she headed up the stairs to her room. Once inside, she carefully hid the letter in one of her textbooks. She then fastened the chain around her neck, tucking it into her robes. She glanced in the mirror before heading back down to join the boys on their walk to Potions class. 


	4. chapter four

Hermione took her usual seat at the back of Potions just as Professor Snape came striding into the room. He wore his usual sneer. Tossing an angry glance at the Gryffindors, he gave out instructions.  
"Today, all pairs will get together around separate cauldrons and make me a sample of the potion you are all reporting on. If it is a strong potion, like that of Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger, please dilute it. This exercise will be carried out for the entire session of class. That is all," he told them. The class hurriedly separated into their pairs and began looking up recipes and pulling out ingredients.  
'Why today? Why do we have to work together today? I'm not ready to face Draco today! You couldn't have waited until next class, eh Snape? Damn it!' Hermione thought as she reluctantly got up and walked over to the cauldron Draco had picked. She picked up the book he had brought to the cauldron and began scanning the ingredients. She knew the entire potion off by heart but knew it was best to play along that she was new to it.  
"I'll go get the powdered Bicorn horn and the Boomslang skin," she told Draco quickly. He shot her a look of thanks and she headed for Snape's desk.  
"Sir, Draco and I need some powdered Bicorn horn and Boomslang skin for our potion," she told the professor. Snape looked at Hermione with a nasty look on his face.  
"Very well Ms. Granger. But take only what you need and return the rest to my cupboard," he said, handing her the key to the cupboard. She marched over and unlocked the cupboard. She took out the two bottles needed and relocked the cupboard. She walked back to the cauldron her and Draco were sharing and measured out the portions they needed for each ingredient and added the powdered Bicorn horn.  
"Do you want me to shred the Boomslang skin, or will you do it?" Draco asked her.  
"I will when I get back," she told him. She headed for the cupboard again and replaced the ingredients, locking the cupboard back up. She returned the key to Snape and went to shred the Boomslang skin. The rest of Potions class ended without much incident, except for when Neville added too much knotgrass to his potion and it gave off a very foul odour for about ten minutes. Harry and Ron excused themselves from lunch, as they had a Quidditch practice to attend. Hermione skipped lunch too and headed for the library instead. She took her usual table at the back and began searching through one of her books for more information on her Potions assignment. She was startled by a small tap on her shoulder. She looked behind her and found Draco standing there.  
"Do you mind if I sit with you so I can work on our Potions assignment some?" he asked her quietly. Hermione shook her head and Draco took the seat across from her. She pushed some of her notes across the table to him, their hands brushing each other's. They both looked at each other and both quickly turned away, Hermione blushing. They spent the entire lunch period copying each other's notes and every so often asking a question about the notes, or about how to present their report. Finally the bell rang to warn the students of the following classes. Hermione stood up and began gathering up her notes. As she bent over, the necklace fell out of her robes. She did not notice, but Draco did. He smiled, knowing there was still hope with her.  
"Well, thank you for your help Hermione. We should get together tomorrow at lunch to do a little more research. See you later then," Draco said. Hermione nodded as he turned and left.  
  
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That evening Hermione grabbed a book off her bedside table and took a seat in a chair by the fire. She curled up and began to read. Ron and Harry walked up, their Potions assignment tucked under their arms.  
"What are you reading?" Ron asked her. She held up the book a little so they could see the title.  
"Hogwarts: A History again!?! Don't you already know the entire book, front to back?" he continued. Hermione looked up from her book.  
"This is the newest edition Ron! There is new information in here that is not in my copy at home. And even if it was, I have every right to read the same book more than once!" she snapped at him. Ron gave her a hurt look and sat down on the floor next to the table in front of the fire. Harry patted Ron on the shoulder and joined him on the floor. Harry and Ron worked on their project for hours, finally giving up just before eleven o'clock.  
"Are you going to bed soon Hermione?" Harry asked, as he and Ron packed up their notes.  
"Yes, I just want to finish this. I only have another chapter to go through," she told them. They bid each other good night and Harry and Ron headed to their room. Hermione finished her chapter but wasn't yet tired enough to go to bed. She took a risk and left the common room without the protection of an Invisibility Cloak. She walked and walked until her legs carried her to the Divination tower. She whispered the password and entered the portrait hole. She climbed the stairs to the roof of the tower where she and Draco spent many enjoyable hours together. She fingered the necklace, remembering the past she had with him. She walked over to the edge of the roof and sat down. She continued to finger the necklace and think about Draco well into the night. Around two in the morning she did not hear the portrait hole open. She did not hear the footsteps follow the stairs up to the roof, nor did she hear the gasp when the visitor saw Hermione sitting on the edge of the roof. She didn't budge from her seat until the sun began to peek over the horizon. She got up and headed for the Gryffindor common room, not noticing a figure pushed deep into the shadows of the passageway and she did not notice the cloak the stranger had draped over her shoulders in the middle of the night as she dozed on the tower's edge.  
  
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Draco walked into Potions and took his usual seat next to Harry and Ron. He didn't mind sitting with them as long as they didn't talk to him. But he wished Hermione was there, too. Draco was shaken out of his thoughts as Professor Snape began to talk to the class.  
"Today, all pairs will get together around separate cauldrons and make me a sample of the potion you are all reporting on. If it is a strong potion, like that of Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger, please dilute it. This exercise will be carried out for the entire session of class. That is all," he told the class. Draco approached the nearest cauldron and began adding the first few ingredients. Hermione soon joined him. She picked up his textbook and began scanning it. She informed him she would get the ingredients they needed from Snape. When she left, Draco raised his textbook to his face and gave it a small sniff. It smelled of old paper, with the faintest hint of strawberries. He smirked and put the book down, continuing with the adding of the ingredients. Hermione came back with two bottles. She measured out the first ingredient and added it then measured the second one. He wanted to say something to her, anything.  
"Do you want me to shred the Boomslang skin, or will you do it?" he asked her.  
'Shit! Why the hell did I have to say that? Couldn't come up with anything more charming Draco? Nice one, now she'll think I'm the world's biggest idiot. Well, she already thinks I'm that, but it'll be worse now! Wonderful!!!' he yelled at himself within his head.  
"I will when I get back," she answered him. Draco spent the rest of the class in a daze. Neville's potions problems had nothing to do with it, as far as he knew anyways. When Snape dismissed the class for lunch, Draco watched as Hermione quickly packed up her books and walked over to Harry and Ron. After a small discussion with the two, she left the classroom alone. Draco grabbed his books and notes and hurried after her. He followed her from a far distance. He followed her to the Gryffindor common room. He hid behind a suit of armour until she left the safety of the common room, where she led him to the library. He ducked behind a bookcase for several minutes, pretending to be interested in the books in front of him as he watched her. He gathered up his courage and approached her. He tapped her on the shoulder and asked if her could join her to work on their Potion assignment. She agreed and he took the seat across from her. His stomach was in knots, filled with butterflies, as they shared the table, as he copied some of her notes. He occasionally glanced up at her, in hopes that she was looking back at him, but he never caught her. When the bell rang for the next classes, Hermione jumped up and gathered her books. He watched her. He noticed something silver slip out of the neck of her robes. He recognized it was his necklace. He smiled slightly, hoping she didn't notice. He decided to make the first move. He stood up and thanked her. He walked away, his insides screaming at him to go back and apologize to her for hours on end. But he fought the voice and left the library without looking back.  
  
Draco paced his bedroom nervously.  
'She was wearing my necklace! She was wearing it!! WOW! I mean, I wasn't actually expecting her to read the letter, let alone keep the necklace and wear it! Oh, I miss her so much! I just wish I could make it up to her. I will though. I will tell my father I love her and then I will make it up to her for the rest of my life.'  
"I love her," he said aloud.  
"Who do you love?" Draco spun around to find Crabbe and Goyle standing just inside the doorway. 'DAMN IT!' he cursed himself as he searched for an answer.  
"I, uh, love, um......it's none of your business! Why were you eavesdropping?" he yelled at them.  
"We weren't eavesdropping, Draco. We came to get our Potions assignment stuff to work on it. We walked in to hear you say you loved someone," Goyle told him. Draco made an 'Oh!' face and sat down on his bed. Crabbe and Goyle grabbed their books and left the room. Draco lay down on his back and looked at his canopy for hours. He slowly fell asleep. He woke up suddenly and found the room to be dark and cold. He glanced around at the surrounding beds and saw they were all filled with sleeping figures. He grabbed his cloak and left the common room. He walked up to the roof of the Divination tower. He whispered the password to the portrait and slinked through the portrait hole. He climbed the remaining stairs and let out a small gasp when he saw someone sitting on the edge of the tower roof. He crept up to the figure quickly and quietly, afraid to disturb them. He found it to be Hermione and instantly felt at ease. She was resting peacefully, her head against the wall. He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. He crept back to the stairs and stood there, admiring his sleeping beauty. He stood there for many hours, just looking at her, thinking about her, wanting so bad to just rush over to her and hug her. As the sun began to rise, casting shadows over the tower roof, Hermione began to stir. He took a few steps down and pressed himself into the shadows of the stairway. As she walked by, Draco held his breath, hoping she didn't catch him. He waited a long time before he moved from his hiding place in the shadows. He began his walk to the Slytherin common room slowly, mulling over what had happened. It never occurred to him that Hermione still had his cloak.  
  
Hermione walked to her common room, not realizing she was wearing Draco's cloak. She entered her room and was greeted by the soft snoring of Lavender and Pavarti. Hermione sighed and climbed into bed, not bothering to change. She was exhausted and just wanted another hour or two of sleep before she had to be up to get ready for another day. She was shaken so violently, she thought her head was going to fall off.  
"What the hell do you want Lavender?" she demanded, wishing her two hours of sleep hadn't felt like two minutes.  
"Um, well, I thought you'd like to know you're wearing a Slytherin cloak Hermione," Lavender said, pointing to the Slytherin crest on the cloak. Hermione snorted.  
"Why would I be wearing a........Slytherin cloak?" she asked as she looked down at the crest. Hermione gasped when she saw it.  
'How did I get this? Wait! I was up on the tower roof. I must have fallen asleep. But why did someone give me their cloak? Unless it was Draco, but still. Why would Draco give me his cloak? Oh right, he told me he still loves me. He must have come up when I was sleeping and left it with me so I wouldn't be cold. Oh, damn him!' Hermione thought to herself.  
"Well thank you for letting me know before I left the bedroom with it on," Hermione told Lavender. Lavender nodded and headed for the bathroom. Hermione quickly unfastened the cloak and placed it in her trunk. She then gathered her bathroom supplies and left to take her shower. She returned to her room half an hour later feeling refreshed and clean again. She changed quickly and ran her brush through her hair. She ran down to the common room to wait for Harry and Ron. After breakfast, the Gryffindors had History of Magic. Hermione had never been so bored in any class in her whole life. She shocked herself when she announced so to Harry and Ron during the lesson.  
"This class is so ass-numbingly boring and dull!" she whispered to them. Harry's eyes widened with shock and Ron's mouth fell open. She glanced at them and then realized what she had said.  
"What did you just say, Hermione? Am I losing my mind or did you just say this class is boring?" Ron asked her, shocked. Hermione stumbled over her tongue as she tried to come up with an answer.  
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, would you care to share your secret with the rest of the class? It seems to be most interesting," Professor Binns asked. 'Shit!' Hermione thought.  
"Sorry Professor. We were discussing some homework we hadn't finished for another class," Hermione quickly explained. Harry and Ron continued to look at her in shock.  
"Very well Ms. Granger, but please save the discussions for after class," the professor told them before continuing with the lesson. Harry scribbled something on a spare piece of parchment he had and slid it towards Hermione.  
Are you feeling okay? You just said class was boring AND you just lied to Professor Binns. Hermione rolled her eyes and scribbled back 'No, I'm fine. Now pay attention' then proceeded to ignore them both for the remainder of the class. After class, Hermione packed her notes into her bag quickly and fled the classroom. She ran to the Gryffindor She put her bag on her bed and went to her trunk. She quickly slid out the Slytherin cloak and took a small sniff common room and up the stairs to her bedroom. Her nose was greeted with the familiar, baby powdery scent of Draco. She smiled brightly as she kept her nose hidden within the cloak. She stood like this for ten minutes before finally giving up and packing it back into her trunk. She grabbed her bag off her bed and ran to her Arithmancy class. Inside, she took her seat at the same table as Draco, not bothering to look at him in the face. As the professor gave out a few instructions, Hermione jotted something on a piece of parchment and slid it quietly to Draco.  
I think I may have your cloak. Do you want me to return it tonight or tomorrow at lunch? Draco thought her question over a moment and wrote a short reply.  
Keep it; I don't need it as much as you do. Hermione looked at Draco in disbelief. She put the piece of parchment away and paid attention to the rest of her lesson.  
  
Again that evening, Hermione sat in front of the fire. She sat there until every last student had headed up to bed. Once she was sure it was safe, she ran up to her room, grabbed Draco's cloak and fastened it around her neck. She left the common room and headed up to the Divination tower. She stopped on the landing just underneath the Divination classroom. She gave the password to the portrait and proceeded up the remaining stairs to the roof of the tower. Once on the roof, she sat in the exact same place she had sat the night before. She hoped Draco would come up again that night. She hoped he'd stay with her. She stayed awake for many hours, fighting sleep. She was about to doze off when she heard the faint, familiar creak of the portrait hole opening. She turned around and saw Draco walking up the stairs. She got up and rushed over to him. He held her tight. They stayed in each other embrace for many minutes, perhaps hours. No words were spoken, nothing but silence. As the sun again began to rise, Draco looked into Hermione's eyes, placed a tender kiss on her lips and finally spoke.  
"I'm sorry," he said clearly. Hermione bit her lip. She opened her mouth to say something, but Draco put his finger over her mouth. He waited a moment to take it off. When he did, he kissed her again and then turned and left. She felt tears flood her eyes. She dropped her head and looked at the tower floor where she saw a small piece of parchment, folded in two. She picked it up and clutched it. Walking towards the portrait and exiting the tower roof, Hermione felt a sudden rush of warmth and happiness surround her. She knew she was supposed to be angry and Draco, but she loved him too much to stay angry with him. She made a decision on her way to Gryffindor tower. She made the decision to tell Draco that he didn't need to tell his father to win her back. He already had.  
  
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Draco spent the afternoon, going over an imaginary note he would give Hermione. He kept re-writing it, always saying the same thing, but always in a different way. He finally decided on the way he'd write it and raced to the Slytherin common room after Arithmancy. He wrote his letter quickly, not wanting to forget a single word. He finished and decided he's deliver it to her himself, as long as she showed up on the tower roof again that night. He paced his room all evening, not even leaving to eat dinner. He waited until his roommates began coming in for the evening. He then took his pacing to the Slytherin common room. He paced and paced, until the moon was high in the sky. He ran back to his room and grabbed his second cloak and the letter. He fastened the cloak and held the letter tightly in his fist. He ran to the tower and up the stairs. He stopped outside the portrait hole a moment to catch his breath. He gave the password and entered. He walked up the stairs, quickly and effortlessly. He saw Hermione get up and run to him. All of a sudden, he forgot about the note. He forgot she was angry with him. He forgot everything that mattered for those moments he held her on the tower roof, because he had all he wanted right there in his arms. He held her for what seemed like days. He saw the sun rising and decided it was time to go. He gave her a kiss, the first kiss they'd shared in weeks and he loved every second of it. When their lips touched, a million shivers raced throughout Draco's entire body. And then, he said what she'd deserved for so long.  
"I'm sorry." She opened her mouth to protest, or perhaps to forgive him. He never found out because he stopped her. He kissed her again and left the tower roof. He kept walking until he reached the Slytherin common room. Once inside, he collapsed next to the door and began sobbing uncontrollably. He sat there and cried for a long time. He only stopped when he began to sense movement in the dorm rooms. He quickly wiped his eyes. It was only then that he realized he hadn't given the letter to Hermione. He searched all his pockets several times, hoping he would find it. He had to explain a few things before he gave it to her. Giving up, he knew he'd dropped it somewhere, his words to Hermione lost forever.  
  
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Lucius Malfoy sat down at the Malfoy Manor breakfast table, a letter in his hand. Narcissa Malfoy looked at her husband, then glanced at the letter, which was now tightly gripped, almost in anger.  
"What's that dear?" Narcissa asked him, not taking her eyes from the letter.  
"What? Oh, this.....This is a letter from Draco. All he wrote was that he asks me to come to Hogwarts right away. It was marked urgent," Lucius shared with his wife. She wrinkled her nose.  
"What could possibly be so urgent?" she asked him. Lucius gave a small shrug of his shoulders, absentmindedly.  
"Who knows?" he said.  
'I know,' a voice within Lucius began to speak to him, 'The boy is about to reveal to us. Reveal to us where his loyalties lie, that he is to become a Death Eater!' Lucius gave his head a bit of a shake and the voice stopped. He stood up from the table.  
"Well, I'd better be off now. I have some other important business to attend to this afternoon." Lucius straightened his robes, gave his wife a small kiss on the cheek and then left the room.  
  
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Draco walked through the castle hallways, anxious for his father's arrival. It was breakfast at Hogwarts and most of the students were in their common rooms or in the Great Hall. Draco thought this was the best time to tell his father. He knew how Lucius would take his news. Draco stopped walking just outside the Great Hall. He had turned the corner to find Professor Dumbledore talking with Draco's father. Dumbledore sensed another person's presence and turned around, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.  
"Ah! Young Mr. Malfoy! Your father is here to see you. He tells me you sent him an owl," Dumbledore said. Draco nodded.  
"Yes Professor, I did. I asked my father to come meet me here. I have something important to talk to him about," Draco explained.  
"Very well!" Dumbledore replied. The twinkle in his eye dimmed only slightly as he left the father and son to their important matters. Once Dumbledore was out of hearing range, Lucius turned to Draco.  
"What is so important that I had to rearrange my meetings for today just to accommodate your matters?" Lucius asked him. Draco cringed slightly at all the trouble Lucius had gone through to get here. Draco's heart began to beat madly against his chest, his palms were sweaty, his mouth dry. He'd never been so nervous to talk to his father before. Draco took a deep breath and spoke.  
"Father, I've given this a great deal of thought. It's been on my mind day and night. I've also given a great deal of thought to how I would tell you this. Father, I.....I....." Draco couldn't finish. He knew the worst was yet to come. Lucius looked at Draco with a nasty glare.  
"Finish what you have to say son!" Lucius hissed. Draco looked down at the ground for a moment, regaining his composure. He took another deep breath to continue. He heard the Great Hall door creak open, but ignored it.  
"Father, I've found someone I love very much. She and I have been in love for over a month now. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She's everything I could wish for, and more!" Lucius gritted his teeth and asked quite sharply, "And who might this lovely young lady be?" Draco hesitated a moment.  
"Hermoanygringer," Draco said so fast even he didn't quite understand. Lucius gave him a puzzled look.  
"Her name again please, Draco," Lucius asked. Draco froze, then whispered, "Hermione Granger." Lucius looked as if he'd just been slapped across the face. Surely he had misunderstood Draco.  
"Ms. Granger?" Lucius repeated. Draco nodded.  
"What could you possibly want with that filthy little Mudblood?!"  
"DON'T EVER CALL HERMIONE A MUDBLOOD AGAIN!" Draco screamed. Lucius' eyes widened with shock.  
"Draco, keep your voice down! You're making an unnecessary scene!" Lucius commanded. Draco just looked at his father.  
"You're not getting a scene! You're getting a bloody Broadway musical!" Draco shouted. Lucius had had enough. He took a step towards Draco, reaching for his wand as he walked.  
"YOU, my dear son, will NEVER disobey me again! You WILL forget about this silly little school crush! You WILL come home with me right this moment! You WILL follow after me and become a Death Eater, a proud follower of Lord Voldemort, on your NEXT birthday. And you WILL NOT, I repeat WILL NOT see, speak to, talk to or think about your perfect little Hermione Granger EVER AGAIN!" Lucius told Draco, just below a shout. Lucius raised his wand and pointed it at Draco.  
"CRUCIO!" Lucius shouted. Draco began screaming, falling to the floor.  
"STOP!" a voice shouted from behind them. Lucius spun around, breaking his curse on Draco in the process. Draco crawled into the nearest classroom.  
"YOU!" Lucius shouted at the intruder. Both people had their wands raised, ready to attack.  
  
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Hermione shuffled her way to the Gryffindor common room, tears streaming down her face. She flopped down on a chair and stayed there for a few moments, just staring into the dark fireplace. The fire had died down and now there was nothing but faintly glowing embers. Hermione sighed as she hoisted herself up. She took her time climbing the stairs to her dorm room. Inside, she unfastened the cloak from around her neck. She hugged it close, breathing in its scent, then placed it carefully inside her trunk. She retrieved a new set of clothes from her dresser, grabbed her bathroom accessories and headed off to take a nice, long, relaxing bath. Once she finished, she returned to her room. There she replaced her things then headed to the common room where she awaited Harry and Ron. She didn't wait long however. They came down the stairs just as she found a comfortable position in her chair. They bid each other their good mornings as Harry and Ron joined Hermione in front of the now blazing fire. They made small talk about the previous day's lessons, the homework, today's lessons, their Potions assignment and their plans for the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. About an hour later, the trio left the hustle and bustle of the Gryffindor common room and entered the eerily quiet Hogwarts corridors. They walked quickly and quietly, giving off only the occasional heavy footfall and the billowing of their robes. They entered the Great Hall and took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table. They each piled their plates with eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, waffles and fruit. They munched happily on their breakfasts in a contented silence.  
"Well, we'd best be off to Defence Against the Dark Arts class," Hermione mentioned as she bit into her last strawberry. Ron and Harry were about to start their second game of wizard's chess. The boys packed up their game and the three headed for the Great Hall doors. Once outside, they saw Lucius Malfoy and Draco, arguing. Hermione didn't want to be seen but was rooted on the spot. They listened as Draco and his father argued over........Hermione. Hermione heard Draco tell his father about his relationship with Hermione. She heard him profess his love for her.  
"Holy poo on toast!" she heard Ron react to hearing Draco say he loved Hermione. She heard Harry shush Ron and she swore she heard Ron mumble something like "I don't give a flying fart in space if they hear me or not!" Hermione drew her full attention back to Lucius and Draco. Draco had just defended her when his father called her a Mudblood. Hermione felt tears sting her eyes, but she only blinked them back as she continued to watch and listen. She heard Lucius command Draco to never see her again, to become a Death Eater. And then, he did it.  
"CRUCIO!" Lucius shouted. Hermione watched in horror as Draco lay suffering on the ground. She'd had enough.  
"STOP!" she screamed. She felt Harry and Ron inch towards the empty classroom to their right. Hermione pulled out her wand.  
"YOU!" Lucius shouted at her. Lucius and Hermione raised their wands.  
"Impedimenta!" Lucius shouted, aiming his wand at Harry and Ron. Both boys froze like ice statues. Hermione panicked slightly.  
"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled, her wand pointed at Lucius. Lucius fell backwards, a confused sort of look on his face. They both stood there a moment, then Lucius usual nasty sneer returned.  
"You're not strong enough to take on an experienced wizard like me, Mudblood!" Lucius growled as he backed Hermione into a corner.  
"Now you'll pay! You'll pay for continuously evading death! You'll pay for slowing Lord Voldemort's attempts at returning to full power! You'll pay for casting a spell on my son and making him believe you two are in love! You'll pay for being a Mudblood!" Lucius raised his wand and pointed it at Hermione's heart.  
"AVADA....." but Lucius stopped short.  
"SILENCIO!" was yelled from behind Lucius. Lucius could no longer speak. He whipped around to find Draco standing there with Harry and Ron, all three of their wands were pointed at Lucius. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were rushing down the hall, followed very closely by Madam Pomfrey.  
"I told you never to call her a Mudblood again!" Draco said before being whisked into the classroom, with Harry and Ron, by McGonagall.  
"Incarcerous!" Dumbledore said. Ropes came out of nowhere and tied up Lucius.  
"Ms. Granger, please join Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey in the classroom," Dumbledore asked her, "I will see that Mr. Malfoy is properly taken care of." Hermione slid past the professor and Lucius and into the room. She was greeted by a group hug from Harry and Ron.  
"I'm so glad you two are all right!" she told them, breaking the embrace. Ron blushed furiously.  
"Oh, it was nothing Hermione," Harry told her. "We couldn't have done it without Malfoy, I mean Draco." Harry and Ron stepped aside to reveal Draco sitting in a chair. He got up carefully and Hermione walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck.  
"Thank you," she whispered in his ear before she buried her face in the shoulder of his robes. He pulled her closer, tighter.  
"No, thank you," he told her as they stood there, rocking each other.  
  
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Draco watched as Hermione got off her bed and thanked Madam Pomfrey. Sliding over to his bed and sitting down on the edge, Hermione looked deep into Draco's eyes.  
"I love you," she whispered. He pulled her closer to his face and kissed her forehead.  
"I love you, too," he said. She smiled and gently squeezed his hand.  
"Draco, that night, up on the tower, when you apologized, you dropped a note. I picked it up, but I haven't read it. What did it say?" she asked him. Draco closed his eyes a moment and thought back to the note. He remembered exactly what he'd written. He'd remembered it all, down to the dotted i's and crossed t's. He'd been avoiding it, thinking Hermione knew nothing about the letter.  
"You weren't really supposed to find it the way you did. I wrote it, explaining a few things, mainly that I was going to be telling my father about us. I apologized in the letter, told you I loved you no matter what happened. And I was telling the truth. No matter what happens, I will always love you. You mean everything to me. I'm so glad he didn't get the chance to hurt you today," he confessed. Hermione bit her lip as tears began to flood her eyes. She squeezed his hand even tighter.  
"It was you who stopped your father, Draco. You proved your love immensely to me today. You told your father about us, and that was enough for me. But, when you defended me to your father, that was honourable. When you saved me from your father, that was pure love. Nothing can break that." Draco looked into Hermione eyes, taking in all her beauty. She wiped her tears away and leaned in, placing a tender kiss on his cheek.  
"I'll be back at lunch," she told him. He watched as she left the room. He smiled and settled into his bed for a nap. Hermione went to Draco at lunch, and then again at supper. She stayed with him until Madam Pomfrey kicked her out at curfew. She reluctantly left for Gryffindor tower. Hermione waited until everyone had gone to bed. She slipped out of the common room and ran quietly to the Divination tower. She gave the portrait the password and slipped inside. She climbed the stairs slowly, wishing it were easier to sneak into the hospital wing. She wanted to visit Draco some more. She closed her eyes and let the cool spring breeze hit her face. She came to the roof and opened her eyes. She was shocked to find someone already there.  
"What are you doing here?" she asked them.  
"Just admiring the view, the breeze," was the response.  
"Draco?" she asked again. The person turned around to reveal their face. Hermione was greeted with Draco's smiling face.  
"But, what....how?" Hermione stammered.  
"Shhh!" Draco said, "I snuck out." He patted the ground next to him. Hermione sat down and curled up to him. They held each other as they waited for the sun to rise once again. 


End file.
